Islamist insurgents have issued an ultimatum to northern Iraq’s dwindling Christian population to either convert to Islam, pay a religious levy or face death, according to a statement issued by the Islamic State (Isis) and distributed in the militant-controlled city of Mosul. The al-Qaida offshoot that led last month’s lightning assault to capture swathes of northern Iraq said the ruling would come into effect on Saturday . . .

The Nineveh decree echoes one that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, the former name for the Islamic State, issued in the Syrian city of Raqqa in February, demanding that Christians pay the jizya levy in gold and curb displays of their faith in return for protection . . .

The Mosul residents who saw the Islamic State announcement estimated the city’s Christian population before last month’s militant takeover at around 5,000. The vast bulk of those have since fled, leaving perhaps only 200 in the city.

Wow. That is absolutely horrible! This truly is ethnic cleansing. I imagine that if they can afford to do so, they would pay the tax. But what if they are too poor to do so? Will they then be killed regardless of their ability to pay? I read a story a week or two ago when a family who was unable to pay had the wife raped by ISIS members. The husband then committed suicide because of the traumatic event. May he rest in peace.

I tell you, I am getting pretty worried about the situation going on in Iraq because of what the Iraqi Christians are having to deal with. It makes me so sad to see that they are having to go through all of this horrific stuff but yet our government (United States) seems to be mum on the plight of Middle Eastern Christians who are persecuted by Islamists. I really haven’t even heard much information at all about anything being done to take Iraq back from ISIS.